Psychiatric News (2/9) reports a study of Swedish registry data found that “the male-to-female ratio of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be more equal than commonly believed.” The research team “analyzed nearly 2.8 million individuals born in Sweden between 1985 and 2020 – identifying 78,522 (2.8%) who were diagnosed with ASD by the end of 2022. Across the whole cohort, the male-to-female ratio of ASD was 1.6:1 – though the data showed that the yearly gap has been shrinking over time.” They noted the “average age of ASD diagnosis was 14 years – among males, diagnoses peaked between ages 10 to 14 while in females diagnoses peaked between ages 15 to 19. In 2022, the ASD male-to-female ratio at age 10 was 3:1 – but by age 20, the ratio dropped to 1.2:1.” The findings “show a pattern of significant ‘catch-up’ in recognizing ASD in females over the past 40 years in Sweden.” The study was published in The BMJ.

Related Links:

— “Is Autism a Predominantly Male Disorder?, Psychiatric News , February 9, 2026

Psychiatric News (2/6) reported, “Socially isolated older adults who received one of two brief, telephone-based psychosocial interventions showed significant reductions in loneliness at 12 months compared with those who received ‘befriending’ phone calls that didn’t include psychosocial skills,” according to findings from a study of 1,151 older adults in Hong Kong. However, “the findings were mainly applicable to lonely, Cantonese-speaking, older adults with limited resources and may not be generalizable to populations with greater socioeconomic, cultural, or linguistic diversity.” The research was published in JAMA Network Open.

Related Links:

— “Brief Lay-Delivered Phone Interventions Can Reduce Loneliness Among Older Adults, Psychiatric News, February 6, 2026

Research by Lauren Osborne, M.D., reproductive psychiatrist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine, has identified a potential biomarker for postpartum depression (PPD). Examining the metabolic progesterone pathway throughout pregnancy showed that a lower pregnanolone-to-progesterone ratio and elevated isoallopregnanolone in the third trimester were associated with PPD risk. Further investigation may help determine who can benefit from earlier treatment intervention.

Related Links:

— “Dr. Lauren Osborne: Research Uncovers a Potential Biomarker for Postpartum Depression Risk, NYP, February 5, 2026

MedPage Today (2/4, George) reports, “A large longitudinal study challenged longstanding assumptions about the gender prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).” Investigators found that “among 2.7 million people born in Sweden between 1985 and 2022 and followed from birth up to age 37, 2.8% were diagnosed with autism at a mean age of 14.3 years.” The data indicated that “diagnosis rates increased steadily throughout childhood, peaking at 645.5 per 100,000 person-years for males ages 10-14 and 602.6 per 100,000 person-years for females ages 15-19.” The findings were published in The BMJ.

Related Links:

— MedPage Today (requires login and subscription)

Psychiatric News (2/3) reports a systematic review of 110 studies across more than 20 countries found that “aggressive obsessions – intrusive thoughts of intentionally or unintentionally harming oneself or others – are a common feature of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).” Researchers observed that “lifetime and current (i.e., past-week) prevalence rates of aggressive obsessions were 70.3% and 52.6%, respectively. Aggressive obsessions were the primary and most distressing symptom for 28% of patients.” In addition, “patients with early-onset OCD and/or suicidal ideation were more likely to report aggressive obsessions than patients with late-onset OCD and/or no suicidal ideation.” The researchers “noted that the results underscore the importance of appropriate recognition and treatment of aggressive obsessions in OCD, given how commonly they are misidentified.” The review was published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research.

Related Links:

— “Aggressive Obsessions Common in OCD, Psychiatric News, February 3, 2026